Fuli's Tale
by FanficCatz
Summary: A fanfiction story of the Lion Guard from Fuli's point of view. he first chapter will be about her and Kion meeting for the first time as cubs, the second chapter will be her point-of-view during The Lion Guard: Return of The Roar, and the next chapter will be during Fuli's New Family, after that I will take off with my own fanfiction, along with plenty of KionxFuli.
1. Chapter 1: Kion

A young female cheetah slowly stalked through the long swaying grass of the African Savannah, her tail swishing behind her hypnotically as she crept up on her prey.

A small gazelle grazed contently, not even looking up as the unknown predator grew closer.

'Remember to stay downwind so your prey can't smell you,' She remembered her mother's words, 'step lightly and keep your tail out of sight.'

The young cheetah followed the lesson, but quickly pushed away the memory, this wasn't the time to get caught up in sad thoughts.

She got within pouncing range, tensing and bunching her hind leg muscles to pounce-

A crashing sound startled her, and the gazelle, it lifted its head and then bolted away.

With a growl of frustration, the young cheetah lunged after it but halted after just a few steps, it was out of sight, no point in wasting energy.

So instead, she spun around to figure out what had disturbed her prey.

"Come on out!" She called, "I already heard you!"

Following the sound of her voice, another feline slipped into view.

It was a male lion cub, she realized, he was young and small, but sturdy and a small red mane fluttered with the wind as he shuffled his paws in embarrassment.

"Care to explain why you were trampling around making the sound of an elephant stampede?" She growled harshly, "You scared away my food!"

The lion cub looked away and the young cheetah felt a stab of pity, maybe her harsh tongue wasn't necessary...

"Sorry about that," He mumbled, "it's just that...it's my first time away from Pride Rock, I don't really know my way around."

Now the young cheetah paused, his first time away from Pride Rock? Sure he was a cub, but not that young...

Reading her inquisitive look the lion cub continued, "My father is very protective over me, he doesn't want me to get hurt."

She snorted, maybe he was a cub but he was big enough and muscular enough that any smart predator would go for easier prey, actual prey.

"Wait, this is your first time away from Pride Rock?" She asked disbelievingly, "Just because your father is a little worried for you?"

"Well...yeah," The lion cub said, "my name's Kion, my father is King Simba."

Now she was surprised, what were the chances? That she would run into the prince of the Pridelands while out hunting, during his first time outside Pride Rock.

But she was surprised, not awed, she had never felt the same sense of devotion and loyalty to the royalty of the Pridelands that most animals did, mostly, the lions, in general, sat around all day doing nothing and thinking they were so amazing, not to mention taking all the credit for all the less-noticed animals hard work.

But seeing that Kion was just a cub, and he couldn't have possibly yet done something she would find offensive, she replied in-kind rather than disdainfully, "Well, hello, Kion, I'm Fuli."

Once she had also introduced herself, Kion suddenly seemed much more relaxed, he smiled in a friendly manner, "Hi, Fuli...um, I hope you don't mind but, what are you?"

Despite herself, Fuli felt a laugh bubble up in her throat, "I'm a cheetah, the fastest land-bound animal ever!" she finished proudly.

She felt a thrill when Kion looked impressed, "Wow, I've definitely never seen one of you before."

Fuli deflated, "That's because... I'm one of the only ones left, most of us are gone... my parents, too."

Kion looked shocked, "That's horrible! I'm so sorry!"

Fuli shrugged it off, "It's not like there's something we can do about it," she straightened, "by the way, you still owe me a gazelle, and I'm still hungry."

Kion looked embarrassed, "I've never actually caught anything before," he admitted.

"Why's that?" Fuli wondered aloud, some of the dumbest animals did stray towards Pride Rock, but even so, Kion should have been thrilled to try to hunt on his first day out, "Show me how you do it."

Looking self-conscious, Kion got into a clumsy hunting crouch.

Fuli immediately started to laugh, "No, no, don't do it like that! No wonder you can't catch anything," signaling for him to stay crouched down she paced around him to study his form, "okay, for starters keep your paws a little closer together, lower your tail behind you, and bend your knees more... No, your back knees, your hindquarters are too high, anything will spot you like that."

She stayed there practicing with Kion until she deemed him good enough.

Kion stood and stretched, "That position did feel more comfortable."

"Good," Fuli said, "because now we need to go and get me my food, don't worry, I'll share."

The hunted for the rest of the afternoon until they had gathered a respectable pile of food, then they settled down to share a zebra.

Fuli was feeling slightly self-conscious, she wasn't used to company, especially not someone the same age as her this close to her, not since her parents died...

She pushed those thoughts away before Kion noticed, "So," she said slowly, "you probably need to be heading back now, huh?"

Kion's ears flattened, "Yeah, probably, my dad might be worried about me."

"From what I'm hearing King Simba worries too much," Fuli joked.

"Yeah," Kion grumbled, "I can vouch for that," he smiled, "well, maybe I'll see you tomorrow?"

Fuli was taken off-guard, she had accidentally bumped into Kion and they had caught food for the food that she had lost, she hadn't been aware that he might want to keep seeing her.

Fuli didn't have any friends, not one, and she was now starting to feel a pleasant warmth from Kion's hopeful question.

"Sure, why not?"


	2. Chapter 2: Return of the Roar

_**Six moons later**_

Fuli pelted through the open plains of the Pridelands, loving the feeling of the wind in her fur as she effortlessly sprinted into it, her paws practically flying over the ground, a great feeling of confidence and contentment sweeping over her.

It had been nearly seven moons since she'd made her first friend in Kion, and such a positive development had definitely changed her life for the better, she felt much calmer and less tense all the time, knowing that someone had your back or that there was always somewhere you could go obviously had that kind of effect.

And since then, Kion wasn't the only friend she'd made, he was a very sociable young lion, he found lots of friends between pretty much any species and he had encouraged her to befriend some of his newer friends.

Of the few other animals Fuli had deemed worthy of sticking around, Ono the egret was probably her most preferred, not that that was saying much, but in her opinion, he was definitely the smartest and probably the most sensible- besides Kion and herself, of course.

But she always hung out with Kion mostly, most of the others were occasional playmates or something along those lines, and some of them- like Bunga the honey badger- did have a tendency to attempt some rather outrageously crazy things- many of which Fuli couldn't help but point out with a pointed, sarcastic remark.

Kion wasn't like that, though Fuli did still tease him too, it was all in good nature, he was more cautious and considerate, usually thinking through mostly anything he did or said, and he always tried his best to stay calm, no matter the situation, Fuli definitely found him the easiest and most comfortable to be around.

All these thoughts and more went through Fuli's head as she ran through the open Savannah, she passed a few small herds of gazelle and zebra, but they didn't give her a second glance, that was the beauty of the Circle of Life, the peace it brought, the predators only hunted what and when they needed to, allowing all of the other animals to live peacefully beside them as long as they weren't hungry.

Fuli reflected on how much she'd changed in the past six moons, since her first meeting with Kion she had- well obviously, they both had grown a lot, she was bigger, stronger, and- most importantly- faster than before, with a longer tail and legs and a thinner stomach, she was built for speed.

Aside from that, she now sported smooth features and a lithe build, her coat was a soft golden-yellow, broken only by patches of tan around her eyes and on her chest and muzzle, and dark, rounded spots dotted her back, head, and legs, some of which were hollow and centered with gold, while others were fully black.

Kion had grown taller and broader, and had filled in well, he was sturdily built and already a powerful fighter, but his red mane hadn't grown much, Fuli liked to ruffle it and tease him, saying it made him cute and joking that it would never grow and he'd be stuck with it when he was older, he'd just laugh and playfully swat her away.

As is summoned by the thought, Fuli saw Kion appear over a small slope a short distance away, he was chasing Bunga, who had a baobab fruit nearly the same size as him, but the tough honey badger didn't show any strain as he tucked the large green fruit under his arm and ran on three legs, laughing.

 _Another game of Baobab Ball?_ Fuli thought, somewhat amused, there probably wasn't an animal in the Pridelands that Kion and Bunga hadn't disturbed- accidentally or otherwise, on Bunga's part- while playing that game.

Fuli was sure that Simba must have sent them to play somewhere away from Priderock, he probably was the last victim of their game, and Fuli realized that she might be the next.

Just as Kion and Bunga reached her, Fuli poured on some extra speed, zooming past them as an almost unrecognizable blur, kicking up dust in her wake.

" _Woah!_ " Kion breathed in surprise as Fuli sped by, causing a small smile to touch her face.

Until she noticed that Bunga had decided to hitch a ride on her back, he waved cheekily back at Kion, glancing down at Fuli just as she made a sour face at him.

Fuli skid to a screeching halt so suddenly that Bunga was flipped head over heels and landed with a loud _'Oomph'_ a small distance away.

Kion came running over, shooting a smile at Fuli as he passed, which she returned.

A slightly dazed Bunga was just sitting up, he glanced around before swiping up the fallen baobab fruit with a grin.

" _Aha!_ " Kion exclaimed as he pounced onto the honey badger, causing him to drop the fruit, "Got you now, Bunga!"

Deciding to leave them to their antics, Fuli sped away, back the way she'd come.

 _Those gazelle better start looking out,_ She decided, _because I'm hungry._

It wasn't long before Fuli was basking in the sunlight on a warm boulder, grooming contently.

A tree near the edge of a small cliff was in front of her, the shadow it cast just not blocking out the warm sunlight, Fuli watched the baboons that lived in the tree as they swung around, making quiet screeching sounds and picking berries.

It was no secret to everyone who knew Fuli at all that she was not a fan of baboons- meaning, she really disliked them, and why shouldn't she? They were dumb and buffoonish, and hardly even knew how to speak, they spent most of their time finding new ways to irritate her while eating bugs.

But as long as she didn't have to interact with them, she didn't mind them all that much, it was actually quite funny to watch them messing around, grabbing each other's tails, swinging around branches, and scratching their heads.

That was an especially unusual but amusing habit of theirs, the baboons loved to scratch their heads for some reason, it made them look like they were so helplessly clueless about everything, it was hilarious.

Fuli laughed softly, causing the tree of baboons to turn and look at her.

"Just, that scratching you do," Fuli explained, which they responded to by scratching their heads confusedly, making her laugh again, "you look so funny when you scratch your heads."

That really did it.

The head baboon shrieked in outrage and jumped out of the tree, the others all responded in kind and followed him.

Fuli's eyes widened a fraction and she bolted up, spinning around and dashing away, the angry sounds of pursuit close behind.

 _What in the Pridelands is this about?_ She thought bewilderedly, was there something really special about scratching their heads that they found her offhanded comment offensive? Was it some important part of baboon tradition to do it?

No matter what, they were very angry, and had successfully found another way to annoy Fuli.

"Whatever this is about, I'm sorry!" Fuli yelled back, but of course, they ignored her.

 _Ugh, baboons!_

And of course, Fuli had just eaten, so it just so happened that she couldn't just put on a burst of speed and pelt away, and she was starting to worry as the baboons' angry shrieks grew closer.

She rushed straight past Bunga, who made a vain attempt to keep up with her.

"Fuli, wait!" He called, "Kion wants to talk!"

 _Oh, of all the most inconvenient times..._

"Not now, Bunga," Fuli called back, "I gotta run."

"What?" Bunga frowned "Why?"

Fuli didn't bother looking back, " _That's_ why."

A moment later the wave of baboons came over Bunga, and the honey badger let out a series of _'oof'_ s as he was tossed around as they ran by.

A flash of red caught Fuli's attention and she glanced left to see Kion cresting a small slope a small way off.

 _Thank goodness,_ Fuli thought, if she could've she might have breathed a sigh of relief, but she couldn't interrupt her steady, quick breathing.

A moment later, her favorite egret- not that that meant much- swooped out of the sky to her right.

"Fuli," Ono called over the baboon's angry screeches, "this way!"

He steered Fuli to her left, towards a small group of rocks with one large boulder in the middle, Kion was now standing beside it.

"Jump, Fuli!" Kion called.

Narrowing her eyes in focus, Fuli pushed off the ground harder and leaped up, just clearing the large boulder, she skid to a stop and turned to face the scene.

"Beshte, now!" Kion ordered.

 _Beshte?_ Fuli thought, _Where-?_

Just as the baboons made to jump over the rocks and pursue Fuli, suddenly the large boulder sprouted short, thick legs and stood up, revealing itself as Beshte the hippo and putting him right in the baboons' path.

The baboons all crashed into Beshte's sturdy body, the impact making them stick flatly for a moment before they crumpled to the ground in a dazed heap.

"Nice save, Beshte," Kion praised, making the young hippo's ears wag happily.

Fuli stood up on one of the rocks, her breath coming in steady but rapid pants, "Totally," she said "thanks."

She turned to the baboons, "And as for you guys, I said I'm sorry," she grinned, "I wasn't _trying_ to be mean when I said you look funny when you scratch your heads."

The baboons sat up dazedly, scratching their heads comically before the head baboon finally spoke up.

"Apology accepted," He said gruffly, then collapsed with a groan, the others soon followed.

Fuli laughed, turning to Kion to see him smiling as well.

"Hey, Fuli," He said, his smile falling as he hesitated, "can we talk?"

Fuli tipped her head, the note of uncertainty in his voice catching her attention, "Sure," she replied, stepping off the rock to that she was level with him, "what's up?"

"I should probably just explain once," Kion said, tilting his ears up the hill, "the others are waiting up there."

Fuli turned to see Ono perched on the top of the hill to the right of Bunga, meanwhile, Beshte had gotten up and was trundling up the hill.

Starting to feel a little more skeptical, Fuli nodded, "No problem."

Kion smiled, looking relieved, and they padded up the hill together.

When they got to the top the other three were lined up facing Kion expectantly, with Beshte now on Ono's right, Fuli took the hint and went to stand on Beshte's right, turning to face Kion.

"Hey guys, thanks for meeting with me," Kion started, "I wanted to talk to you because..." he hesitated, "well, I need your help."

"What's the kerfuffle, Kion?" Beshte asked.

Fuli couldn't help but think the same, she wasn't totally surprised that Kion hadn't confided with her about whatever this was about, he usually brought it up with Simba or Bunga first- Simba because he was his father and Bunga probably because he was so crazy he took everything in stride.

Also, she had a helpless tendency to get sarcastic whenever the opportunity arose, but seriously, when she saw someone say something really dumb, or leave the perfect opening for her to drop a scathing remark, how could she _not?_

Seeming to summon his wits, Kion lifted his chin and spoke, "The five of us are the Pridelands fiercest, bravest, strongest, fastest, and keenest of sight," he announced, "and that's why I need you all to join the new Lion Guard, together we'll protect the Pridelands, and defend the Circle of Life."

Ono let out an appreciative whistle.

"Well, lick my tail and call me a meerkat," Beshte agreed.

"Hey!" Bunga said, "My uncle's a meerkat!"

"No offense, Bunga," Beshte said, then frowned, "wait a minute, aren't you a honey badger?"

But Fuli felt her temper flare.

 _For goodness sake,_ She thought, _the 'Lion-this' the 'Lion-that.'_

She stepped forward so that she was face-to-face with Kion, "A _Lion_ Guard?" she executed a perfect eye-roll, "Figures, always the lions lording over the Pridelands, I suppose _Simba_ put you in charge of this little team, Kion?"

Behind her, Bunga stepped forward, "You bet your spots he did!" he said, Fuli ignored him, she already knew that, and it wasn't like it was any better than any other answer.

"Fuli, the Lion Guard needs you," Kion insisted, "you're the Pridelands fastest-"

"You got that right," Fuli agreed, interrupting him, she lifted her chin and raised an eyebrow at him, "and you're supposed to be the fiercest?"

"Well, he is a lion..." Beshte put in hesitantly.

"And lions are fierce," Ono finished, rolling his eyes a little, "it's kinda common knowledge, really."

"Show 'em the roar, Kion," Bunga said excitedly, "show 'em the roar!"

Kion frowned, which made Fuli frown.

"What's Bunga talking about?" Fuli asked, rolling her eyes again, " _'The roar?'_ "

She leaned forward until she was nose-to-nose with Kion, "You think you're something special just because you can _roar?_ "

"Wait till you hear it!" Bunga grinned, "Come on, Kion," he repeated, "show 'em the roar!"

"So, what is the deal with your roar?" Beshte asked curiously.

Kion hesitated.

"Oh, you _totally_ have to show us _now,_ Kion," Fuli said, leaning back with a grin.

"Seeing is believing!" Ono agreed with a nod, then paused, "Though with a roar it's more about hearing..."

"Okay, fine," Kion agreed finally, "I'll show you the roar," he turned away from them, "just, uh, stay behind me, I don't want anyone to get hurt."

Everyone rushed forward to be as close as possible, as if they were trying to see something really small, Fuli let out a sharp _'Watch it!'_ when Beshte practically trod on her tail, he quickly apologized with a short 'Excuse me,' while Ono just landed on his back with a snort, 'Groundlings.'

Kion glanced back at them, "Okay," he looked straight again, " _this_ is the roar."

Fuli raised an eyebrow skeptically and rolled her eyes disdainfully.

Taking a deep breath, Kion unsheathed his claws, lifted his chin and let out- an _especially fierce,_ Fuli thought- _'Squeak!'_

Kion paused, then blinked, "What in the Pridelands...?"

"That was... different," Ono commented.

Fuli couldn't help the burst of laughter that escaped her, "Oh, Kion!" she laughed pityingly, "You call _that_ a _roar?_ " she laughed again.

"It didn't sound like a roar..." Beshte stated hesitantly.

"That wasn't _the roar!_ " Bunga cried, waving his arms, "That was, uh, a squeak!"

"I found him, your highness!" A voice reached them over the wind, "Kion is over here!"

Fuli looked up to see the royal advisor, Zazu the toucan, flying overhead, and when she looked down again she saw the king of the Pridelands, Simba, and his daughter, Kiara, padding towards them, another young lioness was following.

Kiara said something to her father, Fuli was too far to make out any words but it was easy to guess by her straight posture, high chin, and mocking tone. Simba made an irritated expression before curtly dismissing his daughter, who padded away with a smirk, the young lioness following her, Zazu also flew off.

Simba made his way regally towards them and Fuli felt herself tense up, all traces of sarcasm gone, generally she didn't like lions much, and more than that she generally didn't like the royalty even more, and now the _king..._

It wasn't that Fuli held anything against Simba _personally_ \- it would be hard to, assuming she'd never met him- but her great tendency to dislike royalty was not out of the blue, the lions hardly did anything, lounging around on the best spot in the Pridelands talking about how absolutely amazing they were.

Fuli rolled her eyes at the simple thought, the lions never actually _did_ anything! But of course, they got all the credit for everything, especially from small or rare animals that couldn't stand up and make a difference on their own. In her opinion, Kion was the only really good lion, although she was willing to admit that Kiara and queen Nala were okay.

"Dad!" Kion greeted, padding forward to meet his father, "Am I glad to see you, I'm not sure why, but when I tried to-"

"Kion," Simba interrupted him, "Kiara tells me you've asked _Bunga_ to join the Lion Guard," he glanced over sternly at the rest of the group.

Fuli stiffened, Bunga waved his hand, letting out a nervous, "Hey..."

Simba turned back to Kion, "Is this true?"

"Well, yeah," Kion said, obviously catching his father's stern, harsh tone, "I was just talking to all my friends about it-"

"Your friends?" Simba intervened, sounding as if Kion was being offensive, "Kion, I asked you to assemble the new _Lion Guard_ , and instead, you're just playing with your friends?"

"I'm not playing, dad," Kion sounded frustrated, he turned to indicate each member of the group, "Fuli is the fastest, Beshte is the strongest, Ono is the keenest of sight, and the bravest," he turned back to his father, "it's Bunga."

"Kion, the Lion Guard has always been made of _lions!_ " Simba said forcefully, "Do you really think that a Lion Guard with just _one lion_ can protect the Pridelands?"

 _And there we have it,_ Fuli thought scathingly, _so uptight and arrogant._

"Well," Kion started, "actually-"

"Son, listen," Simba said, "the Lion Guard isn't a game you play with your friends, it's _real._ The Circle of Life and _your_ life will depend on who's on your team."

Kion looked down as Simba continued, "Please, Kion, There are plenty of good lions for the Guard, I need you to take your new responsibility seriously." he raised his chin, "Just as seriously as Kiara takes hers"

With that, he turned and regally strolled away, leaving Fuli glaring at his back while a dejected-looking Kion stared at the dirt.

"But I _do_ take it seriously," Kion murmured, standing and turning to walk away.

Fuli wanted to follow him, but thought better of it, best to leave him to think and- hopefully- feel better.

Bunga seemed to be on the same train of thought- mostly, "Kion," he called, starting after him.

Beshte stopped him, "Little B," he said, using his nickname for the honey badger, "I think Kion needs some time alone."

"Thank you, Beshte," Ono said dully, craning his neck to preen his feathers, of all of them Fuli thought he looked the least worried, maybe it was a trait that came with being able to fly away from any situation.

"Any of you guys think that that was a really low move from Simba?" Fuli asked scathingly, though she admitted to herself that she now felt really bad for the way she'd been treating Kion.

" _King_ Simba," Bunga corrected her, earning him a hard cuff over the ear, which resulted in a loud _'ow!'_ from him and an eye-roll from Fuli.

"What was?" Beshte asked. Fuli rolled her eyes again at how lost he was.

"Maybe comparing Kion to his sister," Ono pointed out helpfully, "it's like telling a honey badger that they're only half as good as badgers."

"Hey!" Bunga protested.

"I wonder why that was the first example that came to mind," Fuli said sarcastically, starting to aimlessly stroll down the hill, the others followed.

"Well, maybe when Kion comes back, we could all go cool down at the Watering Hole," Beshte suggested, "I'm sure it'll get everyone feeling better."

"I'm not so sure about that," Ono commented.

" _Right,_ " Fuli said sarcastically- which she found herself doing a lot, "and I'm sure Kion will be eager to prove to Simba that he's working _really_ hard by relaxing through the afternoon."

"Oh," Beshte looked down, "yeah, you're probably right."

"Really?" Bunga said energetically, "I thought she sounded _way_ off."

Fuli rolled her eyes while Ono just sighed.

"Uh, Little B," Beshte said hesitantly, "I think she was being sarcastic."

"Oh?" Bunga asked carelessly, leaping over a mossy log.

Fuli snorted, "You _think?_ "

"No comment," Ono snickered.

Fuli turned her glare on him and he went silent.

Suddenly, a small tan blur bundled into her, sending both of them tumbling.

Fuli quickly kicked off her assailant and leaped to her paws with a growl, then stopped when she saw the young lioness that had been with Kiara.

"Watch where you're going next time!" Fuli snapped _._

 _For goodness sake, these_ lions, she thought irritably, _running around like they can't be bothered with anyone in their way._

"Woah," Beshte said calmingly, trundling over to steady the fallen lioness, "what's the kerfuffle, Tiifu?"

The lioness- Tiifu, apparently- paused, gasping for breath, now that she thought about it, Fuli thought that the young lioness looked like she'd run a long way.

"It's Janja and his clan of hyenas!" She finally exclaimed, having caught her breath, "They're here, in the Pridelands!"

"Where?" Fuli asked, instantly alert.

"They're stalking a herd of gazelle near the border to the Outlands," Tiifu answered, "Kiara's there, she sent me to get King Simba, I hoped he'd still be here."

"Kiara's staying there?" Fuli asked incredulously, "Why would she do that?" did the lions really have so little experience that they thought it was _okay_ to stick around and spy on a pack of hunting hyenas?

"She just said she'd keep watch and to go get her father," Tiifu said.

"He'll probably already be back at Pride Rock by now," Ono calculated.

Fuli paused to think for a heartbeat, her mind working quickly, the others watched her anxiously.

"Alright," She said, "Tiifu, you go to Pride Rock and get Simba as fast as possible, don't bother coming back here, just bring him to the hyenas. Bunga, find Kion, bring him there as well, even if Simba gets there quickly- which I doubt- he'll need all the help he can get. Ono, you lead Beshte and me to the herd."

"But the border between the Pridelands and the Outlands is huge," Ono pointed out, "and it certainly doesn't sound like we have time to wander in circles, how will we know exactly where to go?"

"Mzingo," Tiifu said suddenly, "the vulture, he's soaring above the herd, you should be able to spot him, he'll lead you there."

"But what about me?" Bunga asked, "How will I know where to bring Kion?"

Fuli smirked a little, "I'm sure Kion can figure that out."

"Never fails," Ono whistled.

"Alright, everyone, let's go!" Fuli said.

Tiifu and Bunga nodded and sprinted off in different directions.

"Lead us there Ono," Fuli ordered, "and keep your eyes open for Mzingo."

"Affirmative," Ono responded immediately, spreading his wings and taking to the sky, he started flying the way Tiifu had come, Fuli and Beshte running and trundling after him.

Fuli and Beshte stood on the top of a small hill, Ono perched on the hippo's back, watching as Janja's clan of hyenas rounded up the herd of gazelle, the air was filled with kicked up dust and wicked laughs.

Fuli growled in frustration, clawing the dirt, with just the three of them there wasn't anything they could do, throwing themselves into the fray would most likely just result in them getting themselves killed, she'd hoped Simba would arrive soon.

Ono had scouted the territory and reported that this herd wasn't the first the hyenas had attacked, it seemed they'd been busy all night, taking down as much prey as they could and not even eating it, leaving it lying around.

As hideous a crime it was, the strategy was quite solid, hyenas were scavengers, though the lions didn't allow them to hunt like the way they now were, they were allowed to eat any leftovers, it was their part in the Circle of Life.

By taking down so many animals, Janja was giving his clan the right to come and feast on their kills for a long time to come, even if they weren't allowed to hunt anymore.

After a long while of silent observation, Ono pointed out, "Mzingo is telling the hyena's which one to target next," he tilted his head, "smart... in a devious sort of way."

"I don't get it," Beshte said, obviously not having the same perception as Fuli herself, "they've already scored a couple of gazelles, that should be plenty for all of them."

Even though Fuli had already had her previous train of thought, Beshte was making sense as well, surely if Janja took down so many animals, most of them would go to waste? And why was he leading his scavengers in a hunt anyways, why couldn't they just do what they always did, what they were supposed to do?

"Yeah," She agreed, "why are they still attacking?"

"Janja and his clan will keep attacking until the whole herd is dead," The familiar voice of Kion answered, Fuli turned to see him padding up to them with Bunga.

Fuli noticed that Kion was moving differently, he walked with a more confident stride and there was a steely glint of determination in his gaze, she was tempted to ask him what had transpired while he'd been away.

"Don't they understand the Circle of Life?" She inquired instead.

"They don't care about the Circle of Life," Kion said, glaring down at the hyenas, "they're not hunting for food, they're trying to throw the Pridelands into chaos."

He turned to the rest of the group with a grin, "And it's up to the Lion Guard to stop them."

Fuli tilted her head down to give him a skeptical look, "You mean us?"

"But what about what Simba said?" Beshte asked hesitantly.

"So what if we're not all lions?" Kion challenged, "I know we're the Pridelands fiercest, bravest, fastest, strongest, and keenest of sight."

"That's true," Beshte agreed.

Fuli lifted her head and straightened, "Of course we are," she said with a grin.

Ono hesitated, then shrugged his wings skeptically with a brief, "I guess?"

"Yeah!" Bunga said audaciously, "Let's go get those stinkin' hyenas!"

He started to walk forward, but Kion put up a paw to stop him, "Hold it, Bunga," he said, "this isn't a game, we need a plan to take on the hyenas," he smiled, "and I think I have one- that is, if the rest of you are ready to join the Lion Guard."

Fuli smiled, "I'm in."

Ono hopped off Beshte's back and landed with an affirmative, "Ditto."

"Lay it on us, Kion," Beshte agreed.

Kion smiled and nodded, "Bunga," he said, raising a paw and resting it on the honey badger's shoulder, a light gleamed as he lifted his paw, to Fuli's surprise and awe, the mark of a roaring lion appeared on Bunga's shoulder, "you are the bravest."

Bunga twisted his arm to admire the mark on his shoulder as Kion padded past, "Fuli," he said, resting his paw on her shoulder for a moment, she felt a warm sensation at his touch and then with a small flash of light, the mark appeared on her shoulder, "you are the fastest."

Fuli looked in awe at the mark on her shoulder, proof of her position in the Lion Guard, as fastest animal in the Pridelands, then she looked up to smile at Kion, he paused for a moment to smile back before moving on to Ono.

"Ono," Kion touched his paw to Ono's wing and the mark of the roaring lion appeared, "you are the keenest of sight."

As Kion padded by, Ono extended his wing to inspect the mark on his shoulder, the expression written on his face revealed that even he had never seen anything like this before.

"Beshte," Kion said, leaning up to touch his paw to the hippo's shoulder, where the mark appeared as well, "you are the strongest."

The mark seemed a tad small on the hippo's huge shoulder, but Beshte's ears wagged happily.

"We are the Lion Guard," Kion announced, "and here's what we're going to do."

As the newly formed Lion Guard crested a hill overlooking the hyena's massacre, the first thought that crossed Fuli's mind wasn't about the fight ahead.

No, it was more along the lines of, _Where in the Pridelands is Simba? S_ eriously, couldn't lions do anything?

The _second_ thought she had was about the fight.

"Till the Pridelands' end," Kion called.

" _Lion Guard defend!_ " The entire Lion Guard cried in unison, all taking off down the hill into the fight below.

Fuli poured on an extra bit of speed, being the quickest to cover the most ground, Kion had sent her to get the hyenas that were farthest away.

She skirted around a bush as Mzingo fell into it with a surprised squawk, followed by Ono's taunt, "Looking for something, featherneck?"

Fuli dodged frantically as Bunga rushed by, his arms wrapped around a hyena's eyes, Beshte was just trundling off the hill, tossing aside any hyenas in his path.

Fuli reached her target, three hyenas, about to take down yet another gazelle, she dashed forward, kicking up a cloud of dirt behind her as she sped around the three hyenas, who came to a halt as she emerged from the dust.

"Nowhere to run that I can't run faster!" She laughed.

The three hyenas exchanged helpless looks, they were trying to get a gazelle, not a fight, even if it was just one cheetah, they turned tail and sped away, locking onto another one of the many gazelles that stampeded by.

Fuli sprinted forward, once again ending up between the hyenas and the gazelle, "See what I mean?" she grinned.

They tried to run again, but Fuli ran around them, herding them into a cluster surrounding a surprised looking Janja, her dust cloud confusing them.

"That's right!" She heard Kion call, "Keep going!"

"Comin' through!" Bunga whooped, riding a hyena into the cluster around Janja, sending them all sprawling while he jumped to safety.

"And... Beshte, now!" Kion cried.

"Outta the way!" Beshte bellowed, rushing at the hyenas as fast as he could, Janja's eyes widened a moment before he and all the other hyenas were sent tumbling down the side of a slope.

"Great job, everyone!" Kion congratulated, bounding over to them.

"Woohoo!" Bunga cheered, "We sure showed those hyenas!"

"Yeah!" Beshte agreed.

"Kion!" Ono interrupted them, landing on Beshte's back with a frantic look in his eyes, he gestured to a small rock outcropping right in the line of the gazelle's stampede, "Kiara's hurt!"

Kion's eyes widened, "Okay, we need to get to her fast!"

"I'm the fastest there is," Fuli replied immediately, "but what do I do once I'm there?"

She felt an unwelcome weight on her back as Bunga invited himself to jump onto her, "Just get me in close!" he said enthusiastically, "I'll take it from there."

"Bunga?" Kion asked skeptically.

"Don't worry, Kion," Bunga waved him off, "this time, yours truly has a plan."

Fuli rolled her eyes and gave Kion a look like, _seriously?_

Kion hesitated, then steeled himself, "Okay, hurry!"

Fuli turned toward the stampeding herd of gazelle and broke into a run, Bunga let out a loud cry of " _Zuka Zama!_ "

Fuli filed into the rows of panicked grazers, running at nearly top speed to keep up with their large bounds, she tried to align herself with the rock outcropping that Ono had pointed out, but she realized that she was slightly off to the right and was going to rush right past it.

Fuli tried to move over, but she was in danger of being trampled by the frantic gazelle, and she couldn't stop either. If she wanted to get Bunga to their destination, he had to go now.

"I can't get any closer," She yelled over the sound of thundering hooves.

"Then this is where I get off," Bunga replied all too eagerly, standing and balancing on Fuli's back for a moment before leaping off, he landed on the head of a gazelle before jumping to the next, and then the next, disappearing from sight.

Fuli nervously watched her right side for a way out, starting to fear that she was trapped in by the panicked herd until the smallest gap appeared between them.

It was enough, Fuli poured on some extra speed and ducked down, slipping right out of the stampede and tumbling out onto the grass.

Fuli sat panting for a moment before standing and anxiously scanning the herd, searching for any sign of Bunga or Kiara.

 _This is Kion's sister,_ She thought, _and if the obligation to my best friend isn't enough, she's the future queen of the Pridelands._

Maybe Fuli didn't like the lions all that much, but there was one thing they did, they kept the order, even if they didn't have to do anything but sit around commanding animals, it worked.

Suddenly, a giant, terrible smelling and unbelievably _green_ mushroom cloud erupted in the middle of the gazelle, who let out terribly frantic noises and dispersed around it until the stampede dwindled away.

Fuli's eyes widened, then she rolled them and let out a disgusted snort.

 _Well, there's Bunga._

"Fuli!" Ono called, landing next to her, "Kion wants us to regroup over there."

He gestured across the field to the top of a downward slope, the direction the Janja and his hyenas had fallen.

Fuli grinned, "Be right there."

Ono eyed the dissipating mushroom cloud, "I'll wait for that to clear up before talking to Bunga."

Fuli sprinted across the clearing to where Kion and Beshte were waiting at the top of the slope, "So," she addressed Kion, "what do you plan on doing?"

Kion glanced at her, and the look in his eyes was surprisingly... fierce, and even though he seemed very serious about what was going on, there was a mischievous note in his voice.

"Sending Janja a message to remember," He announced.

Fuli grinned, "I like the sound of that."

A small shadow flitted over them a moment before Ono landed lightly on Beshte's back, a moment later Bunga came bounding over.

Giving them a firm nod, Kion leaped down the slope onto a boulder jutting from the base of the slope, overlooking Janja and his hyenas as they licked their wounds.

Janja paused and glanced up at them, "Well if it isn't Kion the _lion cub,_ " he greeted coldly, his lips twisting into a cruel smile, "you and your friends better leave now," he bared his teeth in a menacing snarl, "before someone gets hurt."

"We're the Lion Guard, Janja," Kion retorted, unfazed, "we protect the Circle of Life, you and your kind are not welcome here," his eyes narrowed, " _ever._ "

Janja began to grin, then paused as shadows swept over him.

Fuli looked up in surprise, the clouds were beginning to swirl and cluster behind Kion, quickly growing larger.

Janja began to back up, confusion and a hint of fear in his eyes, but he was way too late.

Kion's eyes narrowed to slits and for a heartbeat they shined golden, then he roared.

And it wasn't his squeak like earlier, nor was it just a normal roar, Kion's roar shook the air like a thousand thunderstorms, and an explosive sound of primal ferocity boomed from him.

And the clouds, they transformed into the enormous heads of roaring lions, each of their roars equal to Kion's, a bombardment of sheer power that blasted down on his focus.

Janja and his hyenas let out surprised yelps and fearful howls and they were thrown clear off their paws, flying back and crashing through the bushes and long grass, over the next hill back towards the Outlands.

"Zuka zama!" Bunga cried, leaping energetically, he prodded Fuli's side with his elbow, "Now _that's_ the roar!"

Ordinarily, Fuli might have snapped at him- both literally and verbally- for touching her so irritatingly, but she was still rather stunned by the scene she'd just witnessed, and that shock was turning into a wave of awe.

She tipped her head and smiled at Kion, and when he glanced back at her she gave him a nod, he smiled.

Maybe she had been wrong to doubt him, maybe she had been wrong to make fun of his attempted roar, and maybe she had been wrong about ridiculing the idea of a Lion Guard.

But Fuli now saw that none of that mattered anymore, the Lion Guard was real, and she was really a member of it, and she wasn't afraid of whatever was to come, with her friends by her side and Kion leading them, they would get through any problems.

"Just so you know," She addressed Kion, "I'm with you, all the way.

Kion smiled gratefully, "I wouldn't have it any other way."


	3. Chapter 3: Fuli's New Family

_**Author's Note: I apologize for the squished text. That was completely accidentally, though I have figured out why it happened, so if you guys prefer it one way or the other just let me know and I'll be sure to format it that way next time. Also, I'm going to work on sprucing up my text formatting a little in the future (adding paragraph indents, reducing comma splicing, etc.).**_

 _ **P.S. You can manually mend the squished text by using the handy "Line Spacing" tool just above this. Just click expand and thank !  
**_

* * *

Fuli ran at the head of the guard as they raced through a canyon, a flood of murky water chasing them over the dirt.  
It had turned out that being a member of the Lion Guard was a _lot_ of work. From plucking hyraxes from caving-in dens to fighting hyenas back into the Outlands.  
But Fuli enjoyed working with the guard, she felt like she was making a difference in the Pridelands- and she obviously was. Her life was always a busy one- though not necessarily always fun.  
 _Like when I had to check inside the porcupine den to see if they were okay after the flood,_ Fuli thought, making a face.  
She'd really hated that.  
And now she found herself running from a massive flood of mud.  
She really hated that, too.  
And the point of all this was to save a herd of buffalo who were stampeding away from the flood before it caught them, drowning them or sweeping them off a cliff or something awful like that.  
Fuli actually didn't mind buffalo too much, they were generally okay to be around.  
Then again, Fuli didn't mind hyraxes much, either, for while they were irritatingly clingy, they actually tasted pretty good.  
Just then, Kion ran up alongside her, interrupting her train of thought.  
"Lion Guard!" He called, "Ono's found dry land. We've got to round up the buffalo and guide them over there fast!"  
Fuli grinned, "Nobody does fast better than me. _Huwezi!_ " she cried, putting on a burst of speed and flanking the stampeding herd, "This way, everybody! Follow me!" she shouted over the sound of thundering hooves, steering the herd down a turn that led outside of the canyon, Ono leading her from the sky.  
"This way! That's it." She said as the herd fled out of the canyon and into the open fields.  
She heard a bellow of panic behind her and turned to see one of the buffalo stuck deep in the mud, struggling to escape.  
"Beshte! Bunga!" Kion called back, "That last one's yours!"  
"You got it, Kion!" Beshte replied, trundling over to the buffalo with Bunga running beside him.  
"Come on, let's go, buffalo!" Bunga sang, trying to pull it out of the mud.  
Fuli rolled her eyes and turned away, they seemed to have it under control- mostly.  
A moment later, she heard Beshte's exclamation of " _Twende_ _Kiboko!_ " followed by a cry from Bunga.  
"Woah!" The honey badger cried, and Fuli jolted in surprise when he sailed right over her and landed in a bush with a grunt.  
Then there was a sudden _hiss!_  
"Yowch!" Bunga screamed, jumping out of the bush and rubbing his hind-quarters.  
The others quickly ran up to him, "Bunga, are you okay?" Kion asked immediately.  
"Something bit me!" Bunga cried, sounded offended, "And it was _him!_ "  
A red and tan cobra slithered out from the bush, giving Bunga an irritated look  
Ono dove down and landed beside Bunga, "We did it, Kion! The buffalo are all safe and... sound?" he stuttered to a stop when he saw the snake " _Hapana!_ Egyptian Cobra! Whatever you do, don't let him bite you!"  
Bunga twisted around to glance at his hind-side, "He already did."  
Everyone gasped.  
"Oh, no!" Ono cried.  
Normally, Fuli wouldn't have been too worried. The members of the guard got hurt all the time, it kinda came with the job, also Bunga over-exaggerated things a lot, but when Ono was freaking out there was generally something very wrong.  
"Hey, Ushari?" Beshte started, addressing the snake, "Why'd you do that?"  
"He landed on my head, Besthe." Ushari hissed, glaring at Bunga, "He's lucky I only bit him once!"  
"He's got a point." Bunga agreed, unfazed by the snake's irritation, "Wonder if he left a mark..."  
 _He did,_ Fuli thought, the two tiny points where Ushari's fangs had stabbed were obvious.  
"Bunga! Bunga!" Ono was flapping his wings in distress, "You don't understand! That snake, his bite is venomous!"  
"You mean it did leave a mark?" Bunga asked, trying to see the bite-mark for himself.  
Ono looked exasperated, "I mean, his bite is poison!"  
Everyone gasped again.  
 _Oh no,_ Fuli thought, this had just gone from annoying to really, really bad.  
Bunga looked startled, "Poison? That's not good- that's bad! That means... that means I'm a goner!"  
He suddenly swayed unsteadily, a groan escaping him.  
"The venom's hit his system!" Ono cried, "We need to suck the poison out!"  
"Okay," Bunga agreed, "if you think it'll help!"  
He promptly got onto four legs and offered them his rear-end.  
"Really?" Fuli asked scathingly.  
"Maybe not..." Ono grumbled.  
"I have a better idea," Kion spoke up, "we'll take him to Rafiki. Ono, have Timon and Pumbaa meet us at Rafiki's tree."  
"Affirmative!" Ono replied, swiftly flying off.  
Bunga starting swaying again, Fuli watched him with concern.  
"Hang in there, Bunga," Kion said, "Rafiki will know what to do."

Bunga's loud moans of pain from atop Beshte's back weren't the only loud sound as the guard arrived at Rafiki's tree, Timon, Pumbaa, and Ono already waiting for them.  
Nope, there was also Pumbaa's very obnoxious crying, even though he hadn't seen Bunga yet.  
"Bunga!" Timon said as soon as they stopped, "The bird said a snake bit ya on the bottom!"  
"Oh! Say it isn't so!" Pumbaa practically begged.  
"Oh, it's so." Bunga groaned, rolling off of Beshte's back.  
Timon and Pumbaa both gasped before promptly breaking out into loud sobs, Fuli sighed.  
"Timon, Pumbaa, calm down." Kion managed over the noise, "I'm sure Rafiki-"  
"Rafiki?!" Timon interrupted him, "What's he gonna do?"  
"Who, me?" A familiar voice interrupted. They all looked up to see Rafiki swinging down the branches of his tree to them, laughing easily before settling down with his bakora staff, "Nothing."  
Fuli paused, _What?_  
Pumbaa chuckled through his sobs, "Thanks, Rafiki! That's great-" he stopped once he registered what the royal mjuzi has just said, "Uh, nothing?"  
Kion stepped forward, "Rafiki, Bunga was bitten by a poisonous snake." he explained.  
"You gotta help me." Bunga said, stumbling to his feet, "I can't have much time left-" he teetered before falling onto his back,"I think this is the end. Goodbye, everyone. Hello, Circle of Life."  
His eyes slid shut, then opened a moment later so he could grab a flower and hold it to his chest before going still.  
"Bunga!" Kion cried, "Bunga!"  
Timon and Pumbaa exploded into sobs, Fuli just watched skeptically.  
"Eh, Bunga?" Rafiki hummed, hardly looking up as he mixed together some colorful juices, "Honey badgers like you, you're immune to snake bites."  
"What?" Bunga bolted up, " _'Immune'?_ "  
All crying suddenly stopped.  
"What?" Pumbaa asked.  
"I thought I was a goner, but this is even worse!" Bunga cried, " _I'm immune!_ " he paused, "What's immune?"  
"If you're immune to something it can't hurt you," Ono explained dully.  
"So if I'm immune to snakebites, they can't hurt me?" Bunga summed up, then jumped to his feet, "Great! Let's go, guys!"  
"Are you kidding me?" Fuli snapped, "We were worried about you and you were _faking it?_ "  
"Uh..." Bunga scratched the back of his head, eyeing her worriedly, "Not exactly?"  
Fuli got right into his face and bared her teeth, "I should bite you _myself!_ "  
"Easy, Fuli." Kion said calmingly, stepping between them, "Bunga, we just thought you were really hurt."  
"Me, too!" Bunga agreed.  
Fuli huffed.  
"But he's not, he's fine!" Timon exclaimed, "So let's celebrate!"  
"Yeah!" Pumbaa agreed enthusiastically, "A feast at Hakuna Matata Falls, and everyone's invited!"  
Kion smiled, "Thanks, Pumbaa, sounds great. But I have to meet my family for dinner."  
"Me too," Beshte added.  
Ono hesitated, "Uh, the flock gets jittery when I don't show up for mealtime." he smoothly excused himself.  
"How 'bout you, Fuli?" Pumbaa asked, "Are you meeting your cheetah family?"  
Fuli felt a stab of pain, but it ebbed quickly.  
"Nah, I'll just go hunt by myself." She said simply.  
"By yourself? All alone?" Pumbaa whined, "That's the saddest thing I've ever heard..."  
There was a moment of silence.  
"Isn't that the saddest thing you've ever heard?" Pumbaa pressed.  
"You're right, Pumbaa, it is!" Timon agreed, "Friends don't let friends eat alone!"  
"It's not like that." Fuli quickly argued, searching for a valid excuse, "Girl cheetahs hunt alone, it's what we do."  
"Not this girl cheetah, not today!" Timon announced, "You're eating with us, and I'm not taking 'no' for an answer."  
"But I-" Fuli started.  
"Ah, ah, ah, not another word." Timon interrupted her, "I insist." he stood aside and gestured behind him, "After you."  
Fuli hesitated, then heaved a sigh, "Okay..."  
She followed Timon and Pumbaa as they led the way to Hakuna Matata Falls, Bunga following behind as he took his time to mess with any dangerous-looking things he saw along the way, singing some annoying tune about being immune.

Fuli sat down by a log, the crashing water of Hakuna Matata Falls behind her.  
She actually really liked this spot, despite the obnoxious animals who lived here. The dirt was moist and covered in soft grass, sunlight dappled the forest floor as it filtered through the canopy of leaves above, and a pleasant breeze brushed her fur.  
But the animals here were still gross.  
"Dinner is served," Timon announced, holding up a large leaf covered in writhing bugs.  
Fuli felt her lip curling in disgust.  
"They're slimy, yet satisfying!" Pumbaa backed up his friend.  
As if to prove his point, the warthog took a massive mouthful of critters and starting chewing them up enthusiastically,  
" _Ugh!_ " Fuli restrained a gag.  
Bunga helped himself as well, "Mmm! The slime helps them go down _smooth!_ "  
"Uh, thanks," Fuli said, backing away, "but I'm not really hungry."  
"Of course, how rude of me!" Timon said, giving himself a little slap on the forehead, "How can you dive into a meal without a little dinner conversation?"  
Pumbaa took another bite of grubs and chewed loudly while Bunga wandered away. Meanwhile, Timon hopped onto the log beside Fuli, "So, how are things on your end of the food-chain?"  
"Um... good?" Fuli tried.  
"Good, good..." Timon said, idly patting Fuli's shoulder before abruptly stopping, "Oh, wow, you are _so soft!_ Do you know how soft you are?"  
His little meerkat hands began petting her fur on her right cheek and shoulder and atop her head, much to Fuli's displeasure.  
"I, uh, don't really love having my fur touched." She growled through gritted teeth.  
If Timon even heard her, he didn't show it, "Pumbaa, feel this fur. You could drown in fur like this!"  
 _Oh, no, no, no, no..._ Fuli thought, trying to pull her head out of Timon's embrace.  
"Oh, oh! I wanna feel!" Pumbaa agreed enthusiastically, and suddenly he was rubbing against Fuli's other side, "Mmm, cuddly!"  
Fuli scowled.  
"Bunga, you try!" Pumbaa called, then paused and looked around, "Uh, where'd he go?"  
Timon waved him off without looking up, "Oh, I'm sure he's around somewhere."  
"Right here!" Bunga replied, "Check it out!"  
He turned to a crocodile who was dozing by the river and yanked open its mouth, much to its surprise, "Open wide!" the honey badger cheered before proceeding to jump up and down in the crocodile's mouth, "Look at me! I'm immune! Whoo!"  
The crocodile's eyes narrowed.  
"Bunga!" Fuli cried.  
While Timon and Pumbaa gaped in shock, Fuli sprinted forward, grabbing the scruff of Bunga's neck and leaping away, she felt the rush of wind on her tail as the crocodile's mouth snapped shut behind her.  
"What ya doing, Fuli?" Bunga asked bewilderedly.  
 _He can't be this stupid... can he?_  
" _Saving your life!_ " She growled around his fur.  
"But you heard Rafiki, I'm immune!" Bunga complained, "I could've stayed in that croc's mouth all day-" he was interrupted by a loud grunt as Fuli unceremoniously dropped him.  
 _This is unbelievable,_ She thought.  
"Gah! Fine!" She snapped, "Go get eaten if you want! I'm outta here."  
As she sprinted away she heard Timon behind her, "Bunga! Bubby! Want some more bugs? They're _delicious!_ "  
"Are they poisonous?" Bunga asked.  
"Of course not!" Pumbaa answered.  
"Where's the fun in that?"  
Then she was out of earshot.  
"I can't believe this..." Fuli muttered herself, "That was gross!  
At least now she would be able to find some real food.  
She slowed down once she'd left Hakuna Matata Falls behind her and found herself back in the plains of the savannah, the long, swaying brown grass felt much more natural to her.  
Sniffing the air, she immediately picked up the scent of a gazelle and tracked it until it came into view, for some reason the dumb herd animal had strayed away from its group and was grazing alone.  
 _All the better,_ Fuli thought, dropping into a crouch and stalking into pouncing range.  
"Hey, Fuli!" She heard a familiar call, "Fuli!"  
The gazelle bolted up, spotting Fuli before bounding away.  
But Fuli couldn't care less, she gasped and looked skyward, "Ono! What's up?" she jumped around as he landed behind her, "Is there trouble?"  
"Trouble? Oh..." Ono hesitated, "Uh, no."  
"Ono," Fuli said frustratedly, "I was hunting."  
"Hunting? That's perfect!" Ono replied abruptly, "I was on my way to hunt with the other egrets. You should join us."  
 _Huh,_ Fuli thought simply, perking up a little.  
"Okay. Nothing like a good hunt."  
Moments later, she found herself trudging through mud as elephants trumpeting loudly all around her, their giant feet leaving deep holes in the muck while a flock of egrets hopped around said feet, screeching excitedly.  
"And this is nothing like a good hunt," Fuli muttered.  
"What?" Ono yelled over the noise, coming into view through a gap in the elephants prancing about, "A good hunt? Yeah, it's great!"  
"Ugh. What are we doing here, Ono?" Fuli asked exasperatedly, "Do egrets eat elephants?"  
"No!" Ono chuckled, "We eat the bugs kicked up by the elephants' feet!"  
 _Are you kidding me?_  
She halted in her tracks, "Bugs? _Again?_ What is with everyone and eating bugs?"  
She was interrupted by an elephant stamping the ground beside her and splashing mud all over her right shoulder, "Ugh!"  
"What's wrong, Fuli?" Ono asked, appearing in front of her, "Why'd you stop?"  
"Ono!" Fuli snapped, "I'm covered in mud!"  
Ono hopped forward and sniffed her shoulder, "Oh, that's not mud." he said casually, turning around and heading back towards the elephants, "Come on!"  
Fuli gasped and glanced at her shoulder again, curling her lip, "Ugh. Gross."

Soon enough, Fuli was out in the open, finally on her own. Again.  
And she was just about to land another catch. Again.  
"Fuli!" Yet another familiar voice called, " _Jambo!_ "  
The gazelle she'd been stalking looked up before dashing away.  
Fuli groaned and allowed her head to hang for a moment before straightening and turning around, "Beshte?"  
"Hey!" Beshte greeted her again, "I couldn't help but notice you're all by yourself."  
Fuli watched him with a dull expression, "So?" she pressed.  
"So," Beshte started again, obviously thinking fast, "I thought you might wanna join me for a swim. You can meet my whole hippo pod."  
 _He has to be joking? Right?_  
"It's okay." She excused herself, "I'm not a real fan of water."  
"It's not that bad once you get used to it." Beshte insisted, "What do you say?"  
Fuli glanced at the lake, where some of Beshte's pod were starting to glance her way, then back at Beshte, whose big baby-like face smiled at her, ears wagging hopefully.  
 _How can I say no?_ She thought resignedly.  
So she heaved a sigh and started towards the water, "Well, maybe just my paws."  
"That's the way! Yeah!" Beshte cheered, following her.  
Fuli stepped onto a boulder jutting out over the lake and stared down at the rippling surface nervously. She slowly reached out a paw to give it a tentative touch, but as Beshte walked by, one of his legs caught on the stone and broke it loose from its perch, sending it crashing down into the lake.  
Fuli let out a cry of surprise a moment before the water hit her. Opening her eyes she found herself in a rush of water as rocks splashed into the lake all around her, the torrent created by it sent her spinning.  
While she hated the water, Fuli was generally a strong swimmer, but the lake was dark and the splashing disorienting, and she had no idea which way was up or down as she ran out of breath. Suddenly, a large gray form ascended from under her, catching her and pulling her to the surface.  
Fuli broke the water coughing up water and gasping for breath to find that a hippo had brought her to the surface. Beshte gasped as she came up from the lake and watched her anxiously.  
Fuli heaved a sigh, "So I'm in the water." she said scathingly, "Just. Like. A hippo."  
"Well, uh..." Beshte hesitated, looking mortified, "How do you like it?"  
Fuli jumped back onto dry land beside him, "It's great." she stated sarcastically, shaking out her fur with a dry chuckle, "Maybe we can do it again. Some _other_ time."  
"Uh, okay, Fuli." Beshte mumbled as she sped away, "Some other time..."

It wasn't long before Fuli was stalking yet another gazelle, she was downwind and completely concealed in the tall grass, there was no way this one was getting away from her.  
"Fuli!" She heard Kion call.  
 _No way!_  
She didn't even bother watching for the gazelle's reaction but heard it bounding away a moment later.  
She let out a low groan before turning around and looking up to see Kion and Bunga atop a small slope, she padded towards them, "Hi, guys." she greeted unenthusiastically.  
"Hey." Kion said, "Sorry about the gazelle."  
 _Well, at least he apologized for it,_ Fuli thought, feeling a flicker of gratitude towards her best friend and forcing herself to perk up a bit.  
"But if you're up for a hunt," Kion continued, "you could hunt with me and my family."  
Fuli paused and glanced at him in surprise. One thing she had to give lions was that they were amazing hunters! With precision and cooperation that Fuli often wished the guard shared.  
"Hunting? With the royal family?" Fuli asked just to make sure he was serious before breaking into a smile, "Yeah! Thanks, Kion, _asante!_ "  
" _Hakuna Matata!_ " Kion brushed it off with a smile, "You in, Bunga?"  
Fuli didn't see how Bunga would be interested in hunting with lions and a cheetah, though she supposed the invitation was polite seeing as Kion had been hanging out with him.  
"Nah," Bunga replied, "I'm gonna stay here and enjoy bein' immune!"  
Fuli assumed that his being 'immune' had something to do with the porcupine lying on the ground beside him.  
"Okay, see you later," Kion said, leading the way over the hill.  
"Bye, Bunga," Fuli added before starting after him.  
Atop the hill but at the opposite end were Queen Nala, Princess Kiara, Tiifu, and another young lioness whom Fuli identified a moment later as Zuri.  
Fuli had never liked Zuri that much, she was far too vain and lazy for her standards. Tiifu was better, being loyal and optimistic, but was way too excitable and overenthusiastic about _everything._  
At least, anything to do with the royal family.  
Nala and Kiara greeted Fuli with a simple nod before the queen turned to her daughter, "Okay, Kiara, you lead the hunt."  
Kiara smiled and glanced at the other lionesses, "You girls ready?"  
"I'm ready if you are, Kiara!" Tiifu immediately answered, "You're our leader!" she giggled.  
Zuri sighed dramatically, "Can we just get this over with?"  
Fuli furrowed a brow, _Seriously?_  
"Come on, Zuri," Kiara said encouragingly, "focus."  
Kiara turned away to have a word with her mother, and Tiifu immediately began hopping in excitement, "Ooh, Kiara's gonna be so impressed with how I hunt those gazelles!"  
Zuri yawned boredly, "Uh-huh."  
"Just wait till she sees what a tracky tracker and pouncy pouncer I can be!" Tiifu continued eagerly, dropping into a hunting crouch that Fuli decided was actually pretty good.  
"Yeah, that ought to wow her." Zuri laughed, "Ooh, Queen Nala's looking. Act all excited and hunter-ish."  
Tiifu gasped, glancing at Nala to find her watching, she dropped back into a crouch and let out a rumbling, " _Growl!_ " Nala just smiled.  
"Ugh," Fuli murmured to Kion, "do I seriously have to hunt with those two?"  
"Tiifu and Zuri?" Kion asked, obviously having gotten used to the two lionesses behavior a long time ago, "Sure. They're my sister's best friends, they're like family."  
Fuli sighed, but if it made Kion happy she'd keep any complaints to herself. Besides, she and Kiara actually had some mutual respect for each other as intelligent and capable females, that should be good enough.  
"Ladies," Kiara addressed them, "follow me."  
But Fuli was really hungry at this point and decided that she wasn't gonna let two silly lionesses get in between her and a good meal.  
Taking off at a run, Fuli left Kion's little mane fluttering as she sped past him and Tiifu and Zuri to catch up with Kiara before anyone else could even take a step.  
Tiifu gasped, "Who does she think she is? Hunting right beside the future queen?"  
 _How about the fastest animal in the Pridelands, member of the Lion Guard, and one of the sole survivors of my species in the Pridelands?_  
Okay, that last one hurt. Best not to think about that.  
"Who cares?" Zuri scoffed, "Hunting is so over-rated. Let the cheetah hunt for us."  
 _As if!_ Fuli thought.  
She and Kiara quickly zig-zagged down the side of the hill, tracking the fresh scent of gazelle before spotting it grazing at the bottom of the slope.  
"Don't cheetahs like to hunt alone?" Tiifu asked as she, Zuri, Kion, and Nala followed from a distance.  
 _At least_ someone _gets it,_ Fuli thought, Tiifu wasn't all bad.  
At least, sometimes she wasn't.  
"Why's Fuli all like, 'Look at me, I'm Kiara's new bestie!.'" Tiifu continued in a whiny, terrible mimicking tone,  
"I don't even like gazelle." Zuri just scoffed again, "Hyena food."  
Tiifu gave her a weird look.  
Fuli rolled her eyes and pointedly ignored them, focusing on the gazelle that was now just ahead.  
She and Kiara parted the long grass just behind the grazing animal and exchanged grins.  
"Ready?" Kiara whispered.  
Fuli gave a firm nod.  
 _Three... two... one..._  
Fuli lunged at the gazelle while Kiara jumped out of her hiding place with a loud growl.  
"And stop!" Nala called.  
Fuli halted, hitting the ground with a harsh " _Oof!_ " The gazelle spun its head around and bounded off the moment it saw her. Fuli just groaned.  
"Excellent tracking skills, Kiara!" Nala praised as the rest of the lions joined them, "Really fantastic!"  
"Thanks, mom." Kiara smiled.  
"But the gazelle got away!" Fuli cried, jumping to her paws and shaking out her fur.  
"Of course it did." Nala said, "We're still training for Kiara's first hunt."  
Fuli stilled, _What?!_  
"Come on, girls," Nala said, leading them away.  
"Bye, Fuli!" Tiifu said just smugly enough that Fuli wanted to give her a scratch to remember her by before she sped up to walk with the rest of the lions.  
"Hold up!" Fuli said firmly, grabbing the tip of Kion's tail lightly with her teeth to stop him, "You mean I don't get to eat? What's the point of hunting if I don't get to eat?"  
"You got to hang out with us." Kion said, his smile slowly falling and being replaced by confusion, "Isn't that better than hunting alone?"  
"When I hunt alone I get to eat. Except for today, when someone in the guard keeps stopping me!" Fuli snapped, "What's going on with you guys?"  
"We just thought you'd be happier with company..." Kion explained.  
 _They decided to do this together?!_ Fuli realized, her temper flaring.  
"Do I _look_ happier?" She demanded, making a sour expression.  
Kion hesitated, a grimace slowly forming over his face, "Not... really."  
Fuli let out a frustrated sigh, which was more like a hiss, "I like being alone, Kion. I _enjoy it_. And you know what?" she subconsciously looked away from him, "I've never wanted to be more alone than I do right now!"  
Without giving herself a chance at a second thought, she turned around and sped away, kicking up dust in her wake.  
"Fuli!" Kion called after her, then sighed, "Sorry."  
Fuli almost stopped. She almost turned around and came back to him. She almost apologized for snapping at him and told him it wasn't his fault.  
But she didn't, she just kept running, feeling the wind rush through her pelt until Kion was just a speck in the distance, and then he was gone.

 **Yo, quick break right here to let you guys know that, in the episode, this is song time... and no, I'm not putting in Fuli's song here.**  
 **I'll go ahead and post her song, 'My Own Way' and the lyrics in the comments section, you can check them out there if you'd like.**  
 **In the meantime, we're gonna be skipping that section and taking off from there, and I personally do recommend watching it before you continue reading.**  
 **Enjoy!**

Fuli groomed her fur as she basked in the afternoon sunlight, she was near the edge of the Pridelands, as far away from anyone as she could be.  
Now that she was alone, no longer hungry, and it was finally quiet, she could think, and so she had thought a lot, and she'd decided on a few things.  
Most importantly among them, she'd be too hard on Kion. He had just thought she was lonely and was trying to be a good friend.  
"I shouldn't have snapped at him." She murmured to herself, resting her chin on her paws.  
She paused as a sound floated across the wind from the direction of the Outlands.  
She flicked an ear, _What could that be?_  
Getting into a crouch, Fuli stalked closer towards the border, her ears straining to pick up the sound again.  
There! It was an echo.  
" _Immune! Immune! Immune... Immune..._ "  
Fuli immediately bolted up, "Bunga?! In the Outlands?!"  
She hesitated, glancing back towards the Pridelands, _Should I get the others?_  
But she shook her head, she had no idea where they were, by the time she rounded them up it would probably be too late.  
Taking off at a run, Fuli jumped over the border and dashed through the Outlands towards the source of the sound.  
In the wet season- which they were in right now- the river that made up most of the border between the Pridelands and the Outlands was often swollen and flooded, with on way to get across.  
Luckily, the border here was dry ground, so Fuli was able to simple rush across, dodging jutting rocks and stink carcasses.  
The Outlands was almost unnaturally gray and lifeless, where only the most despicable of animals were banished to. Fuli had no idea how anything at all lived out here.  
Rounding a bend, Fuli found herself on a ledge overlooking a river of lava pouring down from a volcano.  
And at the lava rivers edge was Bunga, surrounded by Janja and his hyenas... but they seemed to be talking.  
"You're what?" Janja asked, looking confused.  
"Immune," Bunga stated irritably.  
 _You stupid honey badger!_ Fuli thought incredulously.  
"What's immune?" The big, dumb hyena- Fuli was pretty sure his name was Chungu- asked.  
"I hope it's not contagious!" Said the small one who was always biting his own tongue, and if the other was Chungu than that would make him Cheezi.  
"Stuff it, fur-brains! It doesn't matter." Janja snapped, "Let's just eat him!"  
 _Oh, no you don't._  
" _Huwezi!_ " She cried, dashing in, scooping up Bunga, and kicking away the nearest hyena as she leaped onto a rock at the riverbank.  
Suddenly the rock broke and starting floating on the lava river, Fuli tensed up, spreading out her paws to keep her balance.  
" _Again?_ " Bunga cried, "You always jump in just when things are getting fun!"  
" _Fun?!_ " Fuli spat.  
"Woah!" Bunga cried, jumping back from the edge of the rock as part of it broke off into the lava.  
 _Oh no,_ Fuli thought. Their platform was breaking apart!  
"Come on, boys!" Janja growled, running along the riverbank, "After that rock!"  
"Why do we always have to work for our food?" Chungu asked.  
"Ain't no such thing as a free meal," Cheezi added, starting after Janja.  
 _You have no idea..._  
"I take it back, this is even more fun!" Bunga cheered, but was abruptly cut off as more of the rock broke off, "Woah!" he jumped back into Fuli, then suddenly paused, "Hey, Timon was right, you really are soft."  
"Ugh." Fuli groaned, rolling her eyes.  
Bunga sniffed, "Do you smell something burning?" he turned around to find a magma pebble on his tail, " _Ow!"_  
Fuli gasped, "I got it!" she quickly swiped the pebble off him and into the river, but even that heartbeat of exposure left her paw burning, and she shook it to try to cool it off.  
"That lava's hot." Bunga stated, then recoiled, "And it _hurts!_ "  
"Calm down." Fuli said firmly, "It's gone now."  
"But... but this means-" Bunga grabbed her chest and shook her, " _I'm not immune! Woah!_ " he let out a cry as the bit of the rock he was standing on broke off and he clambered on to Fuli's back- much to her displeasure, though it was better than the alternative.  
Up ahead, the hyenas had reached a narrow point in the river, Janja, Chungu, and Cheezi on one side and two other opposite of them, meaning they'd be able to reach Fuli and Bunga from the riverbank.  
"A little bit further and they're ours for the eatin'." Janja announced with a feral grin, "Honey badger, with a side of cheetah."  
Fuli glanced around frantically, but couldn't see a way out.  
 _Guess I'll go down fighting..._  
But the owner of a familiar voice had other ideas.  
"Till the Pridelands end..." Kion's call sounded from nearby.  
" _Lion Guard defend!_ " Kion, Beshte, and Ono all shouted, appearing from an opening in a nearby cliff-face and charging onto the scene, the two hyenas in their way yelped and fled.  
Fuli allowed herself a sigh of relief, "Are we glad to see you guys!" she managed while trying to keep her balance with Bunga shifting around on her head  
"Yeah!" Bunga put in, "You won't believe it, but I'm not immune to lava! Or fire!"  
"I believe it." Ono grumbled from where he was hovering above them.  
Kion quickly glanced around before spotting a dead tree on the riverbank just ahead of Fuli and Bunga, "Beshte! The dead tree!"  
"You got it, Kion!" Beshte said, trundling up to the tree and pressing his head against it, " _Twende Kiboko!_ "  
The tree groaned before snapping out of the ground and falling in the lava, making a bridge, but it was quickly being burnt away.  
Fuli twisted around and grabbed Bunga's scruff to swing him off her back before leaping on to the tree, digging her claws in to climb up while it swayed in the river.  
"Aw, there goes dinner," Chungu whined.  
"Oh, they're not gone yet!" Janja snarled, "After them!"  
He leaped onto the log, Chungu and Cheezi right behind him, making it sway and dip deeper into the lava, disintegrating quickly.  
Fuli stumbled before catching herself, she glanced back to see Janja bearing his teeth, a maniacal laugh escaping him.  
Fuli grinned around Bunga's fur, "Can't catch me!" she called, bracing her powerful hind legs on the log and leaping clear over the roots onto solid ground just before they disconnected from the soil and floating into the lava.  
The hyena's paused for a moment, looking lost as the log quickly burned away.  
Then Cheezi sniffed the air, "Mmm!"  
"Something smells delicious!" Chungu announced.  
"That's us fur-brains!" Janja snapped.  
The other two hyenas quickly realized this and let out yelps of panic, clambering all over their leader in the hopes that he'd somehow protect them.  
"Get off of me!" Janja snarled.  
"Should we help them?" Beshte suggested uncertainly.  
"Nah, I'm sure they'll be fine." Bunga waved it off.  
"If anyone knows how to survive in the Outlands, it's them." Kion stated, "Come on, we should be heading back to our home."  
"Heh." Fuli smiled, "I couldn't agree more."

Fuli walked ahead of Beshte and behind Kion as the guard returned to the Pridelands. She was grateful to see green grass and clear blue skies again.  
"Thanks, guys." She said sincerely, "I don't know what we would've done without you."  
Kion stopped and turned to her with a smile, "We're the Lion Guard. We come through for each other. Always."  
Fuli smiled back, then glanced back at Bunga, who was still laying on her back, "Uh, Bunga? You can get off me now. We're safe."  
"Yeah, I know." Bunga said, reaching up a hand to pet her cheek, "You're just _so soft._ "  
Fuli scowled and abruptly sat down, sending the honey badger tumbling away with a loud _'Woah!'_ before he landed flat on his back.  
"On the outside, at least." He muttered, rubbing his head, but his irritation was short lived as he jumped up with an enthusiastic smile, "Hey, anyone else wanna cool off at the watering hole?"  
 _After taking a ride in lava?_ Fuli smiled, _That actually sounds like a good idea._  
"For sure!" Beshte agreed.  
"I'm in," Ono added.  
"Let's go!" Kion said, then stopped, turning back to Fuli, "But if you'd rather be alone, Fuli, then that's okay too." he added with understanding.  
Fuli smiled, "Thanks, Kion. I do like being alone, especially when I'm hunting." his face fell a little at that, but she continued, "But I really like hanging out with you guys, too."  
Kion's expression lit up like the sun at that, nearly making Fuli laugh, "You do?"  
"Well, yeah." Fuli replied slowly, "It's like you're my..." she hesitated, then took a quick breath, "My family."  
Beshte sniffled, "That's a beautiful thing to say, Fuli."  
"Ugh," Fuli snorted, but couldn't stop the smile on her face, "you all want a hug, don't you?"  
Bunga, Beshte, and Ono all made sad dog eyes and nodded.  
Fuli sighed, "Alright." she rolled her eyes, "This once."  
" _Poa!_ " Beshte said, ears wagging.  
They all beamed at that and cuddled up against her, Bunga wrapping his arms around her and Ono his wings. Fuli smiled.  
Then she paused and glanced at Kion, who was standing back with a proud yet semi-content smile.  
Fuli chuckled, "Yeah, you too."  
Kion looked surprised for a moment, then a big half-smile appeared on his face that Fuli thought was adorable before he pressed against her other side, humming a little.  
"You were right, little B!" Beshte murmured, "She really is soft!"  
Bunga grinned, "Told ya."  
Fuli closed her eyes and smiled to herself.  
Whether they always got along her not, she really did love everyone in the guard, admittedly some more than others, but she supposed that's just how a family was.  
At least almost, she knew she'd still oftentimes want to claw Bunga's snout, her feelings towards him were complicated. And Kion... her feelings towards him were complicated as well.  
She didn't know exactly what all the emotions she felt entailed in the future, but for now, she was happy, and could finally sincerely say that she really did have a family again.


End file.
